


Movie Night

by sarcasticFreedom



Category: ARCO
Genre: Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-26
Updated: 2016-05-26
Packaged: 2018-07-10 10:55:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,391
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6981439
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sarcasticFreedom/pseuds/sarcasticFreedom
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Brynn wants to see a scary movie, but won't go to the theatre without an escort.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Movie Night

**Author's Note:**

> Submitted for the ARCO fanfiction contest.

            Brynn Melon, impatiently tapping his foot, stood outside the dormitory. Waiting. His roommate Arco had promised to take him to see a movie in town, and Brynn wasn’t about to be late to the show. Granted, the movie wasn’t for another two hours, but Brynn would be hard pressed not to see the film. _The Spiral of Darkness._ Something about cults, ghosts, serial killers, or some combination of the three. Critics were hailing it as _the_ horror movie of the season. Brynn was never much for horror movies, but that annoying Wheaten would not stop yammering on about how excited he was to see it, and so Brynn had to make sure it wasn’t as great as the nerd was making the movie out to be.

            The sun shone as bright and hot as it ever did in the late afternoon. Brynn had dressed warmly for the cold of the movie theatre, and he could feel his brow beginning to sweat as a result. Khakis, his signature blue hoodie, and flip flops. His feet would get cold during the movie, but the fewer socks he wore, the less laundry he had to do. And the less laundry he had to do, the less likely he was to have to interact with his classmates. Especially that annoying Wheat Thin.

            Before he was about to grind his teeth in impatient frustration, Brynn heard the wild calls of jocks coming from the path to the beach; his roommate was back. Arco Valentine, in nothing more than his board shorts, came sauntering up the path with the blond jock. Greg? Russell? Mick? Brynn could never remember his name; all he cared was that he was Wheaten’s roommate, and therefore of dubious character—even if he did seem rather affable.

            Arco gave the blond a pat on the shoulder to go on while he talked to his own roommate. Before Arco had the opportunity to say “hello,” Brynn was already shooting daggers at him. “We’re going to be late,” Brynn stated flatly.

            Arco let out a small chuckle. “The movie’s not for another two hours. Relax.” Arco placed a hand on Brynn’s head and ruffled his hair before moving past his roommate and entering the dorm.

            Brynn’s face flushed in anger at being dismissed so easily and out of embarrassment for being teased by his roommate. Brynn quickly turned to follow Arco back to their dorm room. “I am relaxed! I just want to make sure we don’t miss the show.”

            “And I’m saying it’s not for another two hours. We have time to get down there. What’s the big rush?”

            Brynn had to move quickly to keep up with his taller roommate’s strides. “You are. You don’t exactly move that fast when you’re relaxed.”

            By this point in the conversation, the two had made it back to their dorm room. Arco began searching the room for a dry towel. “I’m not going to let you miss the movie. We’ll head out as soon as I’m ready.”

            Brynn huffed. “Fine. But…aren’t you going to put clothes on?”

            Arco raised an eyebrow at Brynn. “Well, yeah. But I gotta shower first. I smell like ocean.”

            Brynn crossed his arms. “No you’re not. This is what I’m talking about. You always relax after the beach, and so you’re going to start singing in the showers, and then you’ll be there for half an hour.”

            Arco’s face fell blank in disbelief, towel slung over his bare shoulder. “Do I really do that?” he asked, more to himself than to Brynn.

            “Yes, you do,” said Brynn smugly.

            “Then I guess I only have time for one song today.” Arco made a move toward the door, but Brynn moved into the way.

            “And how do I know you’re not going to sing more?”

            Arco moved his face down closer to Brynn’s. “Do you wanna come and make sure I don’t?”

            Brynn turned his head away as he felt his face flush once more. “One song.”

            “One song,” said Arco, already out the door. “Be back in five.”

            Brynn let out a sigh of frustration. Arco always seemed to be able to get the better of him somehow. If it were anyone else, he would hold nothing but enmity for the guy, but for some reason, Arco just deflated him. Much to his chagrin, Brynn had no choice but to keep waiting. He didn’t feel like climbing onto the top bunk, and so he just flopped down on his back on Arco’s bed. Brynn grabbed Whale the Pillow and held him to his chest. Arco had been in the room for barely a minute, but the room smelled faintly of ocean because of him. And yet there was still something distinctly _Arco_ about the smell. It wasn’t altogether unpleasant.

            Brynn spaced out on the bed, and before he knew it, Arco had returned, towel around his waist. Arco chucked his shorts into his hamper as Brynn sat up in bed. “Told ya only one song,” said Arco, his back to Brynn as he ruffled through his closet.

            “Good, now get dressed so we can get out of here.”

            “Yeah, yeah.” Without hesitation, Arco unabashedly dropped his towel to grab a pair of boxers. Brynn quickly turned his gaze away from Arco’s bare body. Arco had no qualms about showing off his body; he worked out and took good care of himself, and so he figured he had nothing to hide. Still, Brynn couldn’t help but feel uneasy at the sight of such a man. Arco was certainly older, and so there was sure to be a difference in their body types, but Brynn couldn’t help but marvel sometimes at that difference.

            “I said, where did you want to eat?” said a now half-naked Arco.

            Brynn snapped out of his reverie. “Huh? I don’t know. Somewhere quick.”

            “You mean I can’t take you out on a romantic, candlelit dinner?” teased Arco.

            Brynn turned back to sneer at his roommate. Arco had a pair of white basketball shorts on and was looking for a tank top. “Not if we’re going to make the movie in time. We’ve already wasted enough time goofing off.”

            Arco chuckled. “I guess I’ll just take a rain check. You know, there’s a place about halfway between the dorms and the theatre we can walk to. They do burgers and stuff. Real fast.”

            Brynn was hoping to snag a taxi or uber, but they wouldn’t have to worry about the fares or the rides even showing up. “Fine. Whatever. Let’s just go.”

            Arco, now fully dressed, motioned for Brynn to get up. “Alright, alright, let’s go.” Brynn followed Arco to the door, but Arco stopped dead in the doorway. “Oh no,” said Arco, lowly.

            Brynn’s heart dropped. “What is it?”

            “It’s…I think gravity has suddenly increased on me. I can’t move.” Arco couldn’t keep a straight face.

            Brynn pouted behind Arco’s back. “Ha ha, very funny, now move.” Arco became a statue in the doorway, and his muscular frame effectively trapped Brynn inside the room. “Come on, Arco, this isn’t funny.”

            “I’m telling you, I’m stuck. You’re going to have to move me yourself.” Arco turned his head to smile to further needle Brynn.

            “You’re such a jerk!” said Brynn as he pushed against Arco. The same physique that Brynn had been admiring was impeding his every intention. Brynn pushed with all his might, nudging his shoulder in Arco’s back to push, but the bigger guy stood resolute. It didn’t help that his flip-flops weren’t giving him any traction.

            Having let the joke run its course, Arco moved out of the doorway. Arco was unaware, though, that Brynn had placed all his weight against Arco’s back, and so the little crouton was headed crashing straight toward the ground. Arco quickly caught his roommate in a dip to keep him from hitting the floor. Arco gazed down at a Brynn cradled safely in his arms, and Brynn gazed back up at the man delicately-yet-firmly holding him. Both began to blush. Arco cleared his throat and helped Brynn back onto his feet.

            “So…food?” asked Arco sheepishly.

            “Food,” Brynn quietly replied.

 

            Instead of a taking Brynn out to a fancy dinner, Arco took his roommate to a burger joint with a questionable health inspection rating. The fast food stand consisted of two windows from which to order and a smattering of splintering picnic tables to eat at. Brynn wouldn’t have been caught dead eating at such a place in New York.

            Arco didn’t mind; he downed two burgers in practically no time flat. The mere sight of the food made Brynn feel sick, and so he forwent the food altogether. Out of concern, Arco offered to take Brynn to a nicer spot so he could get something vegetarian, but Brynn shook his head; no time. Brynn was skinny to begin with, and so Arco was uneasy with him skipping a meal. As a compromise, Arco agreed to buy Brynn popcorn for the movie.

            Arco’s antics had cost the boys about fifteen minutes at the dorm, and Arco’s burger join was a twenty minute jaunt from there. After eating and arguing about eating-or-not-eating, the boys walked for another twenty minutes to the theatre. Brynn was regretting his decision to wear flip-flops; they were definitely taking a ride back to the dorm.

            At the theatre, it became apparent that Brynn and Wheaten were not the only ones earnestly waiting for _The Spiral of Darkness_ ; the theatre was packed. Brynn made sure to point out that had they been any later, they might not have been able to procure tickets. That said, the boys got their tickets and took seats in the middle of the theatre. Brynn held onto his unbuttered popcorn tightly; he refused to eat any until the movie started—though his stomach didn’t enjoy this particular course of action.

            The boys chatted idly while the pre-show advertisements rolled on the screen. After all their shenanigans, the boys had managed to arrive with plenty of time to spare, but being in each other’s presence seemed to make the time pass quickly and without notice. But then the lights dimmed and the previews started.

            Half-an-hour into the movie, Brynn had devoured all of his popcorn. As the plot grew darker and more horrific, Brynn ate more ravenously; he had underestimated the fear aspect of the film. That Wheat Thin must be a sociopath to derive enjoyment from the gruesome spectacle. At every jump scare, Brynn’s body flew out of his seat; at every torture scene, his body shook.

            Arco could feel the uneasiness radiating off his roommate. He asked in a whisper if Brynn was okay, and his roommate denied any misgivings. Arco knew Brynn was lying. Brynn held onto the armrests with a white-knuckled death grip, and so, never taking his eyes off the screen, Arco pried one of Brynn’s hands free and held it in his own. Brynn’s body reacted to the comfort of holding Arco’s hand—his breathing softened, his heartbeat slowed—but his mind was so enveloped with the movie that he didn’t take conscious notice of the contact comfort.

 

            “Brynn,” Arco muttered lazily from his bottom bunk. “Bryyyyyyn.”

            After the final credits scrolled, Brynn put on a brave face for his roommate; he had seen romcoms that were more frightening. Arco saw right through the deception. Though he would never admit it, the film terrified the little crouton. All that blood…and the creeping shadows…and the creature with its—

            “Brynn!”

            “What, Arco?”

            “Go to sleep.”

            “I am.”

            “Then stop twisting and turning so much. I can’t sleep with you dancing up there.”

            Brynn let out a huff and dramatically crashed into his mattress. He lay still for a moment, but the dark images crept scurrilously into his mind. Before long, he was tossing himself about in a futile attempt to get comfortable.

            “Brynn,” said Arco flatly. Brynn stopped moving; he felt like a child being scolded for misbehaving. “Get down here,” continued Arco.

            “W-why?” asked Brynn.

            “Just do it.”

            Brynn hesitantly sat up and climbed down from his upper bunk. In the darkness, he could just make out Arco sitting up on his bunk, eyes half-open. Like usual, Arco had stripped down to just his boxers to sleep, while Brynn wore a modest t-shirt and loose shorts. Arco motioned for Brynn to sit next to him on the edge of his bed. As soon as Brynn’s butt hit the mattress, Arco wrapped his arms around Brynn and dragged him over and across his chest. An exasperated Brynn now lay on Arco’s bare chest, unable to move in Arco’s bear hold.

            “W-what are you doing?” asked Brynn.

            Arco let his head fall back down on his pillow. “Shh. If you can’t keep yourself still, then I will. Now go to sleep.”

            Brynn struggled in Arco’s hold, but there was nothing he could do. Brynn glared at his roommate in the dark. He let out another deep sigh of exasperation, followed by a big, deep breath. This had a very calming effect on Brynn, for with it he got a big whiff of Arco. He couldn’t place what the smell was exactly—a combination of ocean, deodorant, and man, but still not altogether unpleasant.

            Lying on his chest, Brynn could feel Arco’s torso slowly rising and falling with each breath, and the rhythmic motion further relaxed Brynn. And then there was the body heat permeating his thick chest. Against his will, Brynn was beginning to feel rather cozy.

            As Arco fell more asleep, his hold on Brynn loosened. Brynn could easily escape his position, but a strong impulse in his brain kept him from moving. He would never admit it, but being this close to Arco—they might as well have been cuddling—felt, well, good. He never felt like he had to be on edge around his roommate, and that was a welcome change for him.

            Brynn felt his eyes growing heavy. Arco was surely asleep at this point, and so Brynn nestled his head into Arco’s chest and let out one last, deep breath. The horrific scenes from the movie were far at the back of his mind; Brynn drifted off to sleep with only pleasant thoughts and images of his roommate dancing through his head.

           


End file.
